Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Day 6: From the North to the South...

...of
France. Lille-Toulouse, via Paris.

From Lille Flandres...

via Paris Montparnasse...

to Toulouse Matabiau! (feat. men on phones)

5½
hours from Paris Montparnasse-station to Toulouse, I got bored after
2½. CC happily made friends with the little restless girl opposite
(the one singing Gangnam Style) whilst I made a decision never have
to children.

Got
to Toulouse at six in the evening. Tbf, I wasn't impressed. The route
from the station to the hostel (about 20mins), was highly dodgy and
not very pretty if you don't count the trees around the road. Few
people recommended Marseille to me while planning this trip because
of its dangerousness with all the gangs etc, but I was never too
bothered about this. But, now, I have decided to stay clear of
Marseille at least at night – no one has ever mentioned anything
about Toulouse being dodgy, and Toulouse already being as dodgy as it
is I dread to think what Marseille would be like...

On
our way to find dinner literally there was a guy with a crazy beard
who had stopped in the middle of the pavement with his arms wide open
towards an older business man who was walking towards him. An
unlikely friendship, I thought, vaguely amused, till I realised this
crazy beard-guy did not know Mr Old Businessman, he was just being
creepy. Also, full of dog-people and groups of young dodgy men.

Our
hostel was on a less dodgy street of the dodgy area. It didn't look
too promising – a bit messy and the Reception hadn't seemed to be
cleaned in months, but I like our room - a 6-bed mixed dorm (bunk-beds.).
Spacious as hostels go, with an own toilet.

Thefts, please be careful!

Went
to get dinner via a very pretty park, Jardin Japonais. Bed early,
ready for CARCASSONNE the next day!